Crash Bandicoot: Days of Blaze
by Brad-Bandicoot
Summary: He's already a hero, but during a dream Crash was granted the power of fire by a mysterious witch named Sae-Rah. Now, he just has to figure out how to use them AND fulfill her wish while attempting to vanquish new threats on the rise in Wumpa City.
1. Chapter 1

**Crash Bandicoot: Days the Blaze**

_Written by Bradley Hunt_

* * *

><p>In a world of life and purity, there was a universe parallel that concealed all of the sinister and unholy souls. Among those souls was a witch who had been vanquished a thousand years ago. Sae-Rah was bent on revenge of mankind, the race that destroyed her. All she had left was a crystal orb to let her see into the world of the living.<p>

The view in her crystal was a small group of islands with a large city in the heart of the land. She noticed a small house outside, bordering the beach. Sae-Rah leaned in to get a closer look, her beady red eyes flashing with curiosity. The scene revealed two Anthrian creatures, male and female, and a small tiger cub. "Hm," mumbled the sorceress. She eyed the older male with a smile.

He laid lazily on a hammock tied between two palms, eyes closed in a light slumber. His red hair shone brightly in the sun's rays. His sleek orange fur was perfectly unharmed by the rough ropes of his hammock. Suddenly, his younger sister, who'd been fingering a very strange device, glanced up at him and spoke. His dazzling green eyes opened, and he groaned. Kicking his legs over his resting place, he stood and stretched, and replied with an irritated sigh.

"Crash Bandicoot," Sae-Rah smiled eerily. She could use this creature; after all, the world considered him a savior and hero. Since he had such and influence on that filthy planet, she concluded that she could use him to bring them to an end. However, his intentions were good, and she would have to convince him that she meant well for the people.

She began to chuckle to herself as she stared deeply into the crystal orb, and she pulled out a smaller red orb, no bigger than her bony hands. "I shall give him a welcoming gift in return for his service."

* * *

><p>"Crash, can you do me a favor?"<p>

"Ngh… what?"

"Can you go to the house and get my charged battery?"

"Now why would I do that while I'm comfortably seated? Are your legs broken?"

"No, but it wouldn't kill you to get up. You've been sleeping there for five hours. It's about time you did at least some physical activity."

"Breathing is a physical activity, my dear sister."

"Oh, well if it's so hard, you're free to stop at any time."

He exhaled. "You're getting better with those snappy comebacks." He got up, stretched, and began his trek toward the house, which lay just thirty yards away. Just before entering, he looked to Coco. "Keep it up and you'll be almost as witty as me." Crash quickly ducked inside before he could hear her aggravated response, and snickered to himself. He took a leisurely pace towards his little sister's lab, having had this familiar trip before. He bypassed his own bedroom, noticing that it could use a good cleaning.

"Eh," the bandicoot shrugged. "Maybe Coco'll do it eventually."

Crash perched at the doorway of her laboratory, clicking his tongue in thought, trying to remember where she would keep supplies for that little doohickey of hers. He absently rubbed his hands together while he glanced around the room for the battery. Finally, he saw it sitting pleasantly on top of one of her many counters. Crash picked up the pack and grimaced.

"You made me get up, you know."

Suddenly, he felt a strange air waft through the room. Creasing his brow in perplexity, he looked around and noticed that none of the windows were open. Crash blinked, but soon brushed it away. "Life is full of weird things nowadays."


	2. Chapter 2

**Crash Bandicoot: Days the Blaze**

* * *

><p>It was dark, and he didn't like it. Crash Bandicoot looked around in the never-ending blackness and felt a shiver dance up his spine. He couldn't even see his hand as he held it up to his face. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud.<p>

"You're asleep."

He jumped in surprise, and looked around to find the source of the speaker. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Do not fret, my child. I mean no harm to you."

"I'd believe that better if I could see you," he scoffed. Suddenly, a light appeared in the dark; what appeared to be a crystal orb. "Whoa…" he muttered quietly.

"Come closer…"

He obeyed, mesmerized by the radiance of it. Then, he nearly leaped out of his skin seeing the haggard old woman who stood near the large orb. She held out a clawed hand to him, which he didn't desire to take. She nodded and her hand. "I appear to be rather frightening, do I not? You are uneasy."

"How am I sleeping?" Crash inquired, evening his voice.

"This is a dream, but it is also very real, Bandicoot. I have a favor," the old woman said, straightening her deep purple cloak. He folded his arms.

"Why should I trust you? For all I know, you could work with Cortex."

"I know not of this Cortex, my dear," she stated. Suddenly, she began to morph, and she became a beautiful young woman and her wrinkles disappeared. Crash was awestruck. "Be not afraid. I am the witch Sae-Rah, simply a soul of what I once was: this beautiful female you see here. However, I've grown older in this wretched dimension, trapped here for a thousand years."

"Well there had to be a good reason for you to be kept here," Crash grinned, beginning to turn away.

"I tried to help the humans," she began, "I tried to get them through a time of fear and regret, but instead they accused me of evil intentions and they killed me, and my soul was banned here for eternity."

"So?" Crash said. "That's not my problem."

"Please," she said, "ever since I was executed, the world has been a terrible place. War breaks out everywhere. Many die everyday. If I were to return, I could bring peace on Earth. You will never have to lift another finger again."

"Yeah," Crash said, "but how do I know that you're _really_ who you say you are? How do I know you have any 'power' at all, eh?"

"I will prove it to you," Sae-Rah smiled. Crash rolled his eyes and turned around. Suddenly, she was there, inches away from his face. His eyes widened as she ripped out a red object from her cloak and thrust it hard into his chest. It went right through, and he felt her hand slip back out. He fell to his knees in great pain, clutching at his heart.

The first thing he felt was a burning sensation in his chest. It was like taking a hot coal and placing it right in between his lungs. He cringed and Sae-Rah kneeled beside him. "My child, this is a gift. You are the Wielder of Flames." At this time, yellow curls of fiery light came from where she'd struck his torso. The pain turned into a small ache, and Crash watched amazement. It twirled around his body, and he felt a sense of warmth.

"What… what did you do?"

"I gave you the power of fire, my child," she replied softly. "Take it as a parting gift, while you consider helping me."

Crash was speechless, and the world around him unexpectedly began to blur into the darkness. Then, he heard the sound of birds, and it became very bright. He squinted, and had to close his eyes completely to try to shield himself from the brightness. He found himself tossing and turning on a warm surface, covered up. He opened his eyes and saw the sunlight pouring in through his window.

He blinked away the sleep, and instinctively brought a hand up to where his heart lay. He felt that the red sphere that had previously been sitting there was nonexistent, and he sighed in relief. "By far, that was one of my weirdest dreams."

Crash plopped back into his bed, but then he remembered his project for today: fix his motorcycle. But, that could wait after a nice breakfast of pancakes. He grinned ear to ear as he nearly drooled at the thought of the delectable food that he'd come to love so much. Of course, he'd have to go through the trouble of fixing it, but it was always worth it. Plus, Coco really enjoyed them as well, and he enjoyed the little glimmer in her eyes at the mere mention of it.

With that, he jumped out of bed and began his journey to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Coco Bandicoot yawned as she fixed her hair. Today, she would need to make out the list of things to do; clean the house, get Crash to pick up groceries if he gets his bike fixed, feed Pura, and… She stopped thinking. An aroma wafted into her room. She paused, and inhaled deeply. Without wasting another second, she bound into the kitchen. There, she found her older brother whistling a tune and—more importantly—cooking pancakes.<p>

Crash turned around and faced his little sister, and offered one of those dazzling bandicoot smiles. "Mornin', beautiful."

"Are those pancakes?" she questioned immediately. He laughed.

"Sit." With that, she swiftly parked herself at the table. Crash served her a plate of two, and himself a gargantuan stack of five, drowned in syrup. "I expect something in return, you know," he teased.

"Can it," she sighed, and shoveled a bite into her mouth. "I haven't had these in forever."

"Yes, yes, I know. And sadly, I just used up the last of the batter."

"That reminds me," Coco said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "you need to fix your motorcycle so you can go into town and pick up groceries; otherwise, you're walking."

Crash groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I've been trying to get it to work, but it just won't. I don't see why you won't just fix it for me. You're much more skilled in mechanics than I am."

"Yes, but you need to learn about taking care of things. Be more responsible, Crash. After all, I'm not the one who decided to one night have a street race and collide with a car," Coco responded, taking another bit of her food.

"Hey, I broke my arm from that incident. Luckily Aku-Aku can at least fix up people, but it would be nice if he could repair my bike too."

Coco rolled her eyes, and pointed to the stove. "You forgot to turn that off, Pitiful."

Crash muttered a curse under his breath and stood up. He flipped the switch to he oven and leaned against it. He twisted his head to her. "Is that better?" She looked up from her dish to her brother idly. Then, her eyes shot wide.

"Crash!"

"What?"

"Your hand! It's on the burner!"

"Hm?"

He looked at his hand, and sure enough, it was roosted right on the burner. He yanked it off instantly and his adrenaline rushed. Coco ran over to him, and grabbed his palm. "Are you okay? Let me see it!" Crash was miffed as to how he didn't even feel pain, so he pulled away from her. He stared at his hand, and saw that there wasn't even a burn or mark to show that he would've scalded it. Coco was amazed. "Where's the burn?"

"I… I don't know," Crash muttered. However, he turned to her with a shrug. "Good luck, I suppose. You know I have a lot of it. Well, I'm going to go and attempt to fix my bike now, so if you need me just ask."

Ending his quick statement, he quickly went off to their small garage, which was also smack-dab against Coco's lab. He closed the door, and gazed at his hand in wonder. Had it been just a dream? "Nah, it had to be coincidence. You can't get fire powers from a night's rest, dude." Crash casually walked over to his motorcycle, which had been useless for nearly a month, and he didn't fancy having it being fruitless any longer. With a heavy sigh, he turned to a box of tools and picked it up. "Well, time to get to work."

* * *

><p>No later than twenty minutes had passed had the bandicoot become frustrated. He had wired all the possible cords together, bolted every possibly piece into it, and the contraption still didn't make a noise. "Damn it," he swore as one of the locks to the engine fell off. He leaned over to pick it up, and then, then, a strange scent caught him off guard.<p>

He looked back, and saw the napkin he held in his hand was alight with fire. He yelped in astonishment, and tossed it onto the cement. Albeit, he was more stunned to see his hand that had been holding it was also ignited. He shook it, trying to extinguish the flame. The effort was futile. Panicked, Crash also noticed again that he didn't feel anything. He stopped fretting, and gawked at the wondrous sight. He wasn't being harmed at all, and he didn't even feel the heat.

"Whoa…" he uttered breathlessly. But, it wouldn't do him any good to stay there forever, but he didn't know how to get it to go away. Abruptly, it vanished, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke. He was bewildered. "So that's all it takes?" he grinned. He imagined both palms blazing, and it happened. He laughed. "This is so awesome!"

Forgetting what he had been doing, he seated himself on the bike, and made the fire do small things to amuse him. This was extraordinary, but it was sure something. He placed his hands on the bike's handlebars and revved it as if her were starting it, and he smiled haughtily. "Crash Bandicoot has super powers," he chuckled. "He's a walking torch." Then the bike purred. Crash couldn't believe his ears. His motorbike was alive!

The engine made smooth rumbling as the exhaust spat combustion and smoke. He could've cried, but he held back the urge. "Boy, life keeps getting better and better. Now, how about a little trip uptown on my baby?"


	3. Chapter 3

Crash made sure to clad himself in his favorite leather jacket before heading out on his revamped motorbike. Things were starting to look up. For one thing, he could go out for a ride whenever he wanted to now. Another thing—he could make fire come out of his hands! It was all so strange, yet at the same time, it was awesome. He revved up the motor and sped out of the garage and onto a dirt road.

The thing that kept crossing his mind was how strange this was. How could inferno powers fix a bike? It was so surreal. He clenched the rubber handles tighter. What other things could he do with this newfound handiness? He didn't have to sit around a toaster anymore; that was for sure. He hated having to wait for things to be cooked so _slowly_. Maybe, he could even make fireworks. He grinned as he pictured himself lighting them with the tip of his fingers while Coco watched.

Suddenly, he swerved so he couldn't hit a car. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized he should pay more attention to the road. The bridge connecting his small island to the city had been built several months ago. They planned on spanning Wumpa City out to all of the islands; and so far, Crash's was the only one that didn't have all the skyscrapers and factories. Since it was an entire race of thousands of rapidly multiplying evolved creatures, they decided they would be modern and live like humans would. It frustrated Crash, but it was their decision. He just wished they'd leave his island out of it.

He moved past the many vehicles held up in traffic. He found himself hoping to get out of the smoggy part of town. However, that was where the grocery store lay. Crash sighed, and parked his bike in front of the store. He stared up at the sun regrettably, and was about to trudge inside. When he peeked through the window, he saw a disturbing sight: Three skinny moles were pointing guns at the young kangaroo running the register. Crash rolled his eyes and balled his fists. He stepped inside and chuckled.

"Oyi, if you gentleman wanted a snack, you could've just walked into aisle three." The robbers gawked at him in bafflement, as did the cashier.

"What the hell? Dude, you-you're on fire!" said the tallest one, who seemed to be the brains behind the operation. Crash creased his brow and looked at the television portraying the scene. Sure enough, his hair swayed with flame and his eyes were radiating an eerie yellow. He guessed it was because of his irritation with the thieves.

He took his new traits to advantage. "So I am. Now, set the kid down and scram, would you? I have a life too, you know." Unfortunately by the expressions of the moles, his request didn't seem to please them as well as it would him.

"Shoot this bastard!" They aimed his guns at him. Crash had no time to react, which was very disconcerting. He was already kissing his ass goodbye when they began shooting off rounds. When he didn't feel pain, he figured he was already dead. But, then he started to feel a very uncomfortable crawling leading down to his wrists. "Hold your fire!"

Crash opened his eyes and become conscious that he was still alive. He felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he saw several bulges in each of his arms. For the next few moments, he didn't feel quite as in charge of his body as previously. He smirked and pointed his two forefingers at the group. "Should I hold mine?" Just like an average firearm, bullets shot right out of his skin and at the feet of the muggers. They all shrieked in surprise and darted right out of the store.

The bullets were gone now, and he gaped at his hands in disbelief. What just happened? His mind couldn't recollect anything that occurred after that. Before he knew it, Crash had the needed items he intended to buy and was paying the cashier. "Sorry about the, uh… stuff." The kangaroo didn't utter a word, and was backed up in a corner. He shrugged and walked out of the market, sitting on his motorcycle.

He was pretty sure now his strange look had died away, but the fact that his hands became pistols for a few seconds was still jolting. It didn't make any sense. But, as he thought about it, it seemed to be less weird and more… incredible. A smile began forming as his motorcycle hummed with life once again.

* * *

><p>Rolling the bike inside of the garage, Crash took off his jacket and jogged into the house whistling a classic rock tune. Oh, how much he missed the 90's. He set the groceries onto the counter, and spotted his sister watching the TV intently. It was the city news, which was something she always watched everyday at noon.<p>

"So what's up?" he asked. She didn't even turn to look at him. She simply waved her hand at him to signal him to shut up. He sighed, and took a Coke out of the bag, sitting on the couch next to her. "When I ask a question, the polite thing to do would be to answer, dear sister."

"Look at this," Coco muttered. He obeyed and wandered over to collapse onto the couch. He took a swig of his drink and gave his trademark grin.

"Ah yeah. Regina the anchoress. She's still pretty to me."

"No, no," Coco said, "keep watching."

As they did, the screen flashed to something that caused Crash to choke on his soda. His mouth fell open as he watched what had happened at the grocery store half an hour before from the security cam. Coco was busy squeezing a throw pillow, just as stunned as he was. The scene switched to a reporter interviewing the young clerk.

"_Can you tell us more about this strange character?"_

"_Yeah, uh… he had like, these bright yellow eyes… and like, he was sorta on fire… and bullets shot out of his hands, dude! He was all like 'Sorry about that, man' afterwards, paid for the groceries and left. I was like, totally freaked out and stuff, man."_

Crash snorted. He knew he wouldn't be going to that store anymore. Coco glanced at him, eyes wide. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah. I thought he was pretty handsome," he snickered. She furrowed her brow, and scrutinized her brother.

"You kinda look like him."

"_It is advised that any residents of Wumpa City or any of its regional areas are to avoid this individual at all costs, and if he is seen, contact the police immediately. On a lighter note, Ted, is there anything left to say about the local tribes…?"_

Crash glanced at the television, then to his sibling, cracking a small smile. "What, you think I suddenly got fire powers and can shoot bullets out of my hands?" When he didn't seem convinced, he rolled his eyes and grabbed a glass of water that had been sitting on the table. "If I could control fire, I could make this boil." He clenched for a moment, and shrugged. "I got nothin'."

She seemed relieved. She leaned back onto the couch, and blew her hair out of her face. "So uh, I hear you fixed your bike."

"Indeed I have, little sis," Crash said. He heaved himself off the couch and put the glass back onto the table. "Now if you could excuse me, I think it's time I took a delightful nap."

"Alright," Coco responded. "Don't have too much fun."

"No promises."

* * *

><p>He blinked a few times, and took a glance at his surroundings. Crash remembered this place; it was where Sae-Rah had summoned him once before, except for this time there was an ominous deep blue sky looming overhead. He assumed that she had brought him here once again for some sort of consultation. He took a few steps, and his foot sloshed into something black and gross. He grimaced and tried shaking it out of his sneaker.<p>

"Yuck, I liked this place better when it was pitch-black," he grumbled. Crash continued to explore, not exactly pleased with any of his findings. All he needed was a camera crew. All of a sudden, he heard a crunch nearby. He turned to glance, and his eyes enlarged to golf balls. A large, musky-smelling creature with glowing orange eyes gazed down at him. He felt the urge to scream in terror, but was too afraid to move. He couldn't even summon his powers for some reason.

The beast simply stared at him and allowed some time to pass before trudging past, as if it hadn't even noticed him. Crash blinked, and noticed his heart was beating faster than a NASCAR engine. He swallowed, and turned to resume his trek through the murky swamp. Seconds later, he felt something cold grip his shoulder, which caused him to yelp in surprise.

He whipped around to find out what it was, and suddenly found himself in a strange room alit with a campfire. He scratched his head in confusion, trying to figure out how he could've possibly moved from the middle of a dark, dank marsh to a warm wooden space. Crash's eyes suddenly fell upon Sae-Rah, who was huddled near the fire.

"So," he coughed, "how's life in paradise?"

He felt chilled by the look of her red eyes. She motioned for him to sit across from her on another log. He peered around, examining a few cracks in the roof (which he found out was the base of a really big tree), and some water that trickled down to the damp ground. Crash felt his neck bristling with the silence, so he simply grinned and decided to start some conversation.

"Well, this is quite a place you got here, Sae-Rah. How about adding some furniture? I think red would look good in here."

The sorceress sighed. "Crash Bandicoot, tell me. Do you know what it's like being dead?"

He chewed on his lip while trying to contemplate an answer. "Ah, well… my opponents wish I did."

"It's cold," Sae-Rah hissed. Crash didn't feel compelled to respond. She continued, "That is why I gifted you with the power of fire, my child, so that you may enjoy the warmth that it brings."

"I appreciate it," he chuckled. "It's nice having a little something extra, y'know? Besides, you don't look half bad for a… uh… how old did you say you were?"

"I've been deceased for a thousand years."

"Ah. Right. Well, considering the fact that you morphed into a young woman ever since I got here, I'd still say you look good, mate," Crash finished with a grin. "So, I have a couple of questions, obviously. First one, where the hell am I? Considering I might be coming here more often, I'd like to know. Second, why did you _really_ give me the ability to shoot flames out of my hands?"

Sae-Rah prepared herself, clearing her throat and situating her dark purple hair. "As of now, I have summoned your soul to the depths of the underworld so I can ask of you a favor, the reason why I provided you special capabilities. I ask of you to firstly get used to the great power that you now wield so you can complete the future task of retrieving an item for me."

The bandicoot hunched over and rested his elbows onto his knees. "And just what would that be, sweetie?"

His remark slightly deterred her from explaining, but nevertheless, Sae-Rah linked her fingers together. "It is a gem, my child. A gem that can do wondrous things. It can bring life to any creature that has died or can heal the injured. However, it only works for those who have good intentions, which is another reason why I selected you to help me."

Crash pondered her statement for a few moments. "Lemme get this straight… you want me to get some gem that will bring you back to life? I'm not really seeing how I benefit from this here…"

"What?"

"I mean, come on. I'm awesome with or without fire powers."

Sae-Rah scowled. "I explained this to you before! If I'm returned to Earth, I can bring peace to all mankind! All Anthrian-kind! You wouldn't—"

"Have to lift another finger again; yeah, I know. But let me tell you something. For as long as I can remember, goofy politicians all over the world promised peace and all the golden glorious crap. Then, to make peace, the result to war. How intelligent is that? Really, it's a lost cause if you ask me. I couldn't stop everything. What makes you think _you_ can?"

Something once again grasped his shoulder, only this time yanking him around. Sae-Rah's bright red eyes stared daggers into his emerald. "Listen, you little piece of scum…" She breathed deeply, calming herself. "I can stop it, and I will. I have the power of a thousand atomic bombs with just a flick of my wrists. I have the power to do anything. All I need… is that gem."

"And I'm just supposed to believe that you'll use any sort of power for good?"

"I have, Bandicoot." Crash pursed his lips doubtfully, yet he was still curious. "When you were deciding to help the young man in the building on Earth, I was able to momentarily control your body to scare away the thieves."

"That was you?" he asked, dumbstruck. He looked away in thought. "Wow. I just thought it was one of those Ozzy Osborne moments." He stood up, and stretched. "Alright, one more question."

"Yes?"

"Why can't I use my powers here? I saw this crazy thing not too long ago, and I was going to defend myself."

"You must've seen the Gate Guardian," she spoke. "It appears to people who are not dead. Since your soul is still living, you cannot do anything that you could in the surface world."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… I'm not getting this… That mammoth-looking thing is some guardian?"

Suddenly, his body began to glow a strange blue color. Sae-Rah gasped. "You've been here too long. You must go back now, before your soul and body become permanently separated for eternity!"

"What? How?" Crash felt his panic rising. "How do I go back?"

"You must awaken yourself, Bandicoot."

"'Awaken myself?'"

"_Wake up, Crash…"_

* * *

><p>"C'mon, wake up! Wake up, <em>please<em>!"

Crash wrinkled his nose as he began rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Wha… What's the matter?" he mouthed. When he could see, he saw a very concerned Coco sitting on his stomach, eyes almost watery.

"Don't do that!" she growled, slugging him in the arm. She got to her feet and glared at him.

"What did I do?" Crash inquired, eyebrow knit with perplexity. "I was just sleeping."

"Just sleeping my ass!" she cursed, which nearly made him smirk. "You were as still as a statue, barely breathing, and wouldn't wake up for anything! I thought there was something seriously wrong with you, Crash."

He only offered a shrug. "What's so bad about that?"

"You move all the time while you sleep, and you snore louder than any other animal in the forest," Coco explained. "Now if you want to stay out here under this tree and wait for something to come and eat you, then be my guest. I'm going inside."

With that, she stepped indoors. With a heavy sigh, Crash stood, and made way to his back door. When he went to open it, he discovered it was locked. He banged on the metal exterior. "Hey sis! You locked the door!" When there was no response, he groaned. With a precarious eye, he made sure there was no one looking, and made swift work of turning the handle into a puddle. Crash stepped inside just after plucking a Wumpa fruit from a small tree nearby.


End file.
